Should the Edmonton Oilers scoop up newly available coach to replace Knoblauch?
The Edmonton Oilers have just eight games left in the regular season, but could that stop them from making a major change?
Despite the Oilers being in a prime position to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh-straight season, it’s been a disappointing year. Edmonton has struggled to find consistency all season long and is on pace to record its worst overall point total (across an 82-game season) since they missed the playoffs in 2018-19.
That isn’t good enough for a team that is trying to win while McDavid is still under contract for the next two seasons, and an early postseason exit could have serious ramifications across the franchise. But could those changes come earlier than expected?
Head coach Kris Knoblauch has seen his seat get hot this season with the team’s inconsistent play. His three-year contract extension hasn’t even kicked in yet, but with the team under so much pressure to perform, his position should be anything but safe.
Usually, you see those types of changes take place in the summer after poor results, but could the Vegas Golden Knights’ firing Bruce Cassidy accelerate those plans? Some fans think so.
C'mon Bowman hire Bruce Cassidy for the #Oilers!
— Emily Hall (@Pooks_rutherfor) March 30, 2026
“If the Edmonton Oilers want to play Vegas-level gambling, they should fire Kris Knoblauch and hire Bruce Cassidy,” one fan said on X. “Cold-blooded. Massive swing. And it might be the move that actually wins them the Cup.”
Oilers need to fire Knoblauch and bring in Cassidy
— Steve Mason (@tony_milan54409) March 29, 2026
“Oil should turf Knoblauch and hire Cassidy immediately!” said another fan.
Edmonton should fire Knoblauch and hire Cassidy immediately in the fallout of this imo https://t.co/kF7NIBmwAu
— Hiatus x Hiatus (@knockdownatitan) March 29, 2026
But how realistic is making a Knoblauch/Cassidy swap right now, and what are the potential pros and cons of making such a move? Let’s dig into things a little more.
There is no question that Cassidy is one of the better coaches in the NHL over the past few seasons. He won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023, won two Pacific Division titles in 2022-23 and 2024-25, and has an impressive 178-99-43 record with the Golden Knights over the past four seasons. On top of that, he has gained a reputation for being among the most demanding coaches in the entire league.
Those are all intriguing attributes for an Oilers team that seems to lack urgency or passion at times this season. There is also a good history of this Edmonton squad responding positively after a coaching change, having gone on runs when both Jay Woodcroft and Knoblauch were initially hired.
This gives reason to believe that making the late-season coaching swap could translate to immediate success for the Oilers, which would mean more playoff success. Yet, there are a few things acting against the organization making such a brash move.
While the pressure has never been higher to win in Edmonton, you’d think the Oilers would give Knoblauch a bit more grace and respect than firing him this late into the season. The 47-year-old coach has been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in each of his first two seasons coaching the team and holds an impressive 131-75-19 record of his own.
It’s been a disappointing season, sure, but it’s not like he has run Edmonton off a cliff to the point where they are missing the playoffs. Also, the Oilers are simply not as cutthroat an organization as the Golden Knights are, for better or worse. It just feels very unlikely that the team walks away from Knoblauch without giving him another shot in the playoffs.
That isn’t to say that there won’t be a change in the summer. Depending on how things go this Spring, Knoblauch could very well be on his way out of the Alberta capital, especially if a guy like Cassidy is still looking for a job.